Promoting Healthy Weight in Children

Throughout the United States, an increasing number of children and youth are overweight and obese. In fact, childhood obesity is quickly becoming a public health threat. Dr. Wendy Miller, director of the Beaumont Hospitals Weight Control Center in Royal Oak, says obesity rates have more than tripled over just the past three decades. “If the trends continue like they are, it’s predicted that one out of every two children will be overweight or obese by 2010,” she says.

What can you do as a parent? Dr. Miller says the first step is to make an appointment with your pediatrician to determine if your child is overweight. The pediatrician can examine the child’s trends in terms of weight, height and Body Mass Index (BMI) —or weight in relation to height — to see what percentile that child is at compared to other children.

Parents are role models for their children too, Dr. Miller stresses. They should lead healthy lifestyles by eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, lean meats, and low-fat dairy products, as well as getting lots of physical activity and exercise. Dr. Miller oversees the Beaumont Healthy Kids Program where children can work toward developing healthier diets and activity levels over time. “It’s a multi-disciplinary program with dietitians, psychologists and exercise physiologists. It’s a 12-session program and the child, along with his or her parents, will sit down with each discipline four different times during the program,” she explains. “They will be given an educational piece, as well as some short term goals. They’re given rewards — gift cards — throughout the program for completing different goals.”

You can learn more about the Beaumont Healthy Kids Program by calling 888-899-4600 or visiting the Beaumont Hospitals Web site. There are many additional ways you can support and help your overweight child. Here are some more ideas from the Weight Control Information Network (WIN) on how you can support and help your overweight child:

Involve the whole family in healthy eating and physical activity habits. It benefits everyone and does not single out the overweight child.
Tell your child that he or she is loved and is special. Accept your child at any weight.
Buy more fresh fruits and vegetables. Let your child choose them at the store.
Buy fewer soft drinks and high fat snacks like chips, cookies and candy.
Eat fast food less often. When you visit a fast food restaurant, try the healthful options offered.
Eat breakfast every day. Skipping breakfast can leave your child hungry, tired and looking for less healthy foods later in the day.
Encourage your child to join a sports team or class, such as soccer, dance, basketball or gymnastics at school or your local community or recreation center.
Be active together as a family. Assign active chores (making the bed, washing the car, vacuuming) and plan active outings (a trip to the zoo, a walk through the park).
Set limits on the amount of time your family spends watching TV and videos and playing video games. Substitute these activities with creating play, such as acting out favorite books or stories, or doing a family art project.

To better understand childhood obesity, its health effects, prevention and treatment, visit the University of Michigan Health Care System Web site. M-Care also offers some helpful information and online resources. You can read an in-depth report about childhood obesity from the Institute of Medicine, including ways the government and communities can confront this epidemic.